In 1992, the National Park Service conducted about 5,000 missions to rescue lost hikers, climbers, campers, and the like, at a total cost of $3 million. Because of this, the National Park Service is planning on instituting a program, beginning on a test basis in two parks in the spring of 1994, whereby the rescued persons will pay for the cost of the mission. The cost of a rescue mission is directly proportional to the amount of time and complexity involved in the given operation. Thus, it is in a lost person's best economic interest to be found quickly.
More importantly, however, exposure to the elements while lost can lead to a host of health problems. Although not an exhaustive list, these health problems can include gangrene and infection associated with broken bones or internal injuries, dehydration, starvation, hypothermia, frostbite, and even death. Thus, it is also in a lost person's best physical interest to be found quickly.
The use of devices incorporating balloons to indicate the position of lost persons, whether lost aircraft passenger, water-going-vessel passenger, hiker, hunter, or the like, is well-known in the art. These devices usually consist, at the minimum, of a balloon, a cartridge or canister filled with a lighter-than-air gas, and a means of delivering the gas into the balloon. The balloon, filled with the lighter-than-air gas, rises and marks the position of the distressed person. Examples of several such devices include U.S. Pat. No. 5,095,845, issued to Betty J. Murphy on Mar. 17, 1992; U.S. Pat. No. 5,049,106, issued to Sunyong Kim and Dae W. Lee on Sep. 17, 1991; U.S. Pat. No. 5,020,467, issued to Norman Van Patten and Blaine Van Patten on Jun. 4, 1991 ("Van Patten I"); U.S. Pat. No. 5,005,513, issued to Norman Van Patten, Blaine Van Patten, and Vernon Dillenbeck on Apr. 9, 1991 ("Van Patten II"); U.S. Pat. No. 4,944,242, issued to Donald H. Russell on Jul. 31, 1990; U.S. Pat. No. 4,917,041, issued to Klaus D. Weiswurm, Hubert L. Risinger, and Andrew B. Phillips on Apr. 17, 1990; U.S. Pat. No. 4,901,664, issued to Sylva Labreque on Feb. 20, 1990; U.S. Pat. No. 4,836,128, issued to Kevin J. Walker on Jun. 6, 1989; U.S. Pat. No. 4,815,677, issued to John A. Rushing, Sam Harris, and Ross S. Penney on Mar. 28, 1989; U.S. Pat. No. 4,800,835, issued to Arthur W. Mears on Jan. 31, 1989; U.S. Pat. No. 4,787,575, issued to Ronald R. Stewart on Nov. 29, 1988; U.S. Pat. No. 4,697,706, issued to Donald L. Schaller on Oct. 6, 1987; U.S. Pat. No. 4,295,438, issued to Howard L. Porter on Oct. 20, 1981; U.S. Pat. No. 4,219,819, issued to Rasik M. Patel on Aug. 26, 1980; U.S. Pat. No. 4,120,259, issued to Gene W. Wilson on Oct. 17, 1978; U.S. Pat. No. 4,114,561, issued to Vito F. Asaro on Sep. 19, 1978; and U.S. Pat. No. 4,094,267, issued to John Davis, Jr. on Jun. 13, 1978.
Typical of problems with devices in this field are the complexity of assembly, mechanical complexity and attendant breakdowns, and unreliability. For instance, many devices come disassembled, and two or more parts must be assembled before the device can be used. This is a problem for several reasons. First, the distressed person might be injured and has only one hand available for use. This person would not be able to assemble anything complex. Second, if it was dark or cold or the distressed person was in water, assembly would be very hard.
Many devices use complex mechanical arrangements, usually to release the lighter-than-air gas, which employ two or more parts moving in concert. The more moving parts that are employed, the more likely it is that the mechanical device will break down. An inoperative device would be of no use.
Furthermore, many devices in this field do not have reliable seals for keeping the gas in the balloon or the gas canister. Many also specify that the gas canister is to be carried aloft with the balloon. This drastically reduces time aloft since the combination of the balloon and the canister weighs much more than the balloon alone.
In addition, none of the above mentioned devices include any items to help the distressed person during the time before help arrives. Many people who end up being distressed are lost day hikers or passengers of capsized boats or downed planes. These people usually do not carry provisions for being outside overnight as might persons who regularly go on longer hikes and the like. A lost day hiker, for example, might need some way to stay warm at night or a means for generating light. None of the above mentioned devices provide anything like this.
Therefore, it is an object of this rescue kit to provide an easily deployed balloon for marking the location of a distressed person. The device will require only one hand to operate and may be used while the person is in water or while the person is wearing gloves. It is also an object of the rescue kit to provide a balloon with a sealed neck so that the canister does not have to be carried aloft. It is a further object of the rescue kit to provide a canister for holding a lighter-than-air gas which has a reliable seal for keeping the gas in the canister until it is needed. Another object of the rescue kit is to provide a balloon and attendant inflating mechanism which has a minimal number of moving parts so as to vastly limit possible mechanical breakdown. Yet another object of the rescue kit is to provide items which will help the distressed person deal with certain crises which might arise before help arrives.